Nikon Creative Lighting System Digital Field Guide

Nikon Creative Lighting System Photography Techniques
Amazon-exclusive content from author J. Dennis Thomas One-Speedlight Portraits
One of the things I like the best of the Nikon CLS is how fast and easy it is to get great portraits with just one Speedlight. For this portrait of Kristin I used an SB-900 off camera and triggered it with an SU-800. I used a shoot-through umbrella for diffusion and the light was placed at a 45º angle to the model. The stand was fully extended and the light was angled down for a Paramount or Loop lighting pattern. Setting up the CLS was simple. I switch the SB-900 to Remote mode and set it for Group A, the SU-800 was set to TTL. After a few test shots I decided to dial down the FEC to –1 EV. The image was shot with a D700 and a 50mm f/1.4G. I chose Manual exposure 1/60 at f/4 ISO 400.

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Soft-Light Close-Ups
This is another example of a very simple yet effective lighting technique. For small things such as these raspberries using an overhead light that is very close up give you a nice soft light (the larger the light source in relation to the subject the softer the light is). Setting the light off to the side a bit helps to bring up the contrast which gives a more detailed three-dimensional look. Tis was done with one SB-800 and a shoot-through umbrella placed about 12 inches from the subject. For this shot I used the built-in flash of a D300s to trigger the off-camera SB-800. I set the SB-800 to Group A and the ¬¬¬¬mode to TTL. When shooting with a white background the metering system usually tries to underexpose the image (meters generally try for 18% grey). After a couple of test shots I ended up with a FEC of +2 EV. The image was shot with a D300s and a 105mm f/2.8G VR. Manual exposure 1/60 at f/8 ISO 200.

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Top 5 Accessories for the Nikon Creative Lighting System

1. Photoflex LiteDome XS Softbox Kit for Shoe Mount Flashes - 12x16x9" – This small and portable softbox kit is a great accessory for shooting portraits, headshots and small products. It comes with a speedring and the hardware that allows you to connect it to your SB-600, SB-800 or SB-900.

2. Photoflex 30” White Satin Umbrella – If you’re on a budget this inexpensive umbrella can do the trick for portraits and small products. The translucent reflective material allows you to shoot through the umbrella like a softbox or you can bounce from it for a softer indirect light.

3. Manfrotto 1051BAC Aluminum Mini Air Cushioned Compact Stand 6.75' – This is a heavy-duty light stand for holding your Speedlight and lighting modifiers. The air cushion saves your equipment from crashing down if you forget to fully tighten the extension sections.

4. Impact Light Stand 6' – This is a lightweight stand that is inexpensive and perfect for use with one Speedlight and an umbrella. They are compact and great for traveling.

5. Photoflex Shoe Mount Multi-Clamp – This is a necessity if you want to attach your umbrella or softbox to a light stand. It has a clamp to hold the umbrella and it also allows you to tilt your Speedlight for precise control of the light.